Carburetor air control



E. DUNFORD Oct.26.',1926. 11,604,221

CARBURETOR AIR CONTROL Filed Oct. 27, 1924 Patented Oct. 26, 1926.

warren stares ERNEST DUNIEORD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CARBURE'IQOR AIR CONTROL.

Application filed October 27, 1924.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines and consists in animproved air control device for regulating the mixture of air and fuelgas delivered by the carburetor to the engine intake manifold.

As is well known, the most economical mixture of air and gas is that inwhich the proportion of air is the largest and, when the motor istraveling at a fair speed, such a proportion is also the most efiicient.However, when the motor speed is reduced to the extent necessary intraffic, turning corners, taking bumps or hills, the most economical andnormally efiicient mixture of :air and gas will not be rich enough toenable the motor to perform and it is, therefore, the practice to reducethe proportion of air in the mixture to a point which will givesatisfactory performance under all con ditions and this means that instraightaway driving around twenty miles an hour or more the carburetoris supplying a much larger proportion of than is necessary.

The main object of my invention is to provide a device which willautomatically control the proportions of air and gasoline supplied bythe carburetor according to the requirements of the engine.

Additional objects of my invention are to produce a device which may beapplied to carburetors now in use, to produce a device, the operation ofwhich may be visibly inspected and which may be regulated or adjustedwhile in use.

An additional object of my invention is to produce a device which iseconomical to manufacture and simple in installation and operation sothat its distribution may be facilitated and it may be installed by theordinary operator without the aid of a mechanic.

VJ'hile in my preferred form my device is an accessory which may beapplied to carburetors now in use, my invention is also adapted to forma part of a carburetor.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of myinvention and modification Figure 1 is a side View of the intake airheater pipe, standard carburetor and intake manifold of a Ford engine towhich my invention is applied, the invention being shown in section.

Serial No. 746,085.

Figure 2 is a cross section taken on line 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section through a gas heating device including my presentinvention.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 3.

In Figure l a carburetor is illustrated at l, the intake manifold towhich the carburetor is attached it shown at 2, and the intake airheating pipe is shown at 3. Pipe 3 resembles the pipe usually suppliedwith Ford cars except that the lower end of the pipe instead ofextending into the air inlet of the carburetor terminates a shortdistance therefrom. The space thus provided is occupied by my aircontrol device, the body of which resembles a forty-five degree elbowand consists in a curved air passage shouldered to receive the end ofpipe 3 and leading from the pipe to the inlet of carburetor 1, thepassage being substantially circular in cross section. A disk-shapedvalve head 4 substantially closes the inlet end of the air passage butis small enough .to permit the passage of some air between its peripheryandthe inner wall of the air passage. The valve L is mounted on astraight stem 5 extending tangentially to the axis a of the air passageand projecting through the wall of the body of the device.

A hollow screw 6 having a knurled head 7 is threaded in the wall of thedevice and provides a journal for the valve stem 5. A light-spring 8 isseated on the inner end of screw 6 and the underside of valve head 4:and provides pressure .sufiicient to raise the valve topassage-obstructing position when the engine speed is insufiicient toprovide a strong draft of air through the device. This is the conditionwhen the engine is starting, or laboring when the car is mount-' a screw11 extends diagonally. Screw 11 also passes through a hole provided inpipe 3 and retains the pipe and device in assembled position. The screw11 also constitutes a stop for valve head 4.

7y means of screws 6 and 11 the total movement of the valve andtheresistance of spring 8 may be controlled and as both of these screwsare accessible from the exterior of the device, it is obvious that thisregulation may be made while the device is functioning during theoperation of the 61' ine. Screw 6 is provided with a lock screw 12 andscrew 11 is provided with a lock nut 13 for holding their respectiveparts in adjusted position. The discharge collar 15 of the device isprovided with a clamp 16 and screw 17 for securing the device to theinlet collar of the carburetor 1.

Obviously, the device may be applied to the stanoard Ford intake pipeand carburetor by cutting away a portion of the stand ard intake pipe.lit is likely, however, that would more advantageous for manun:facturers to furnish a new intake pipe as such part is light stampingand the cost not great enough to add materially to the price of the aircontrolled device.

ln the construction shown in Figure 8, the air control device 18 isformed integrally with a gas heating; chamber 19 and an intake You ritube 20. The gasoline is drawn from the cabui'etor float chamber 27through a restricted vaporizing passage 21 which is partially surroundedby a passage 22 through which a portion of the exhaust of the engine aredischarged.

The device is provided with a CllOlISfl valve- 23 corresponding to thechol e 2% forming a part of carburetor l.

The air control valve 25 is mounted in the devicv and functionssimilarly to the valve t previously described. The valve spring 26 isshown of a slightly different form than that of spring 8 but it will benoted that both of these springs are so shaped that when fullycompressed they occupy very little room longitudinally of the valve stemand permit the movement of the valve head to the bottom of the recessformed in the side of the device.

Obviously, various modifications may be made in the details of my devicewithout departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed, and Icontemplate the use of such details as may be suggested in themanufacture of my invention.

1 claim:

1. Ina carburetor air-control device, an air passage, a valve therein,anadjustable stop for positively engaging said valve in various closingpositions, a splin for moving' said valve toward said stop, anadjustable seat for said spring, said stop and seat being adjustablefrom the exterior of said device.

2. In a carburetor air control device, an air passage, a valve therein,an adjustable stop for positively engaging said valve in various closingpositions, a spring for moving said valve toward said stop, anadjustable seat for said spring, saic stop and seat being adjustablefrom the :zterior of said device, and lockingelements for securing saidadjustable seats in desired positions.

3. in a carburetor air control device, an air passa e, a sprin supportedstemmed valve normally substa; iially closing said passage with its stemslidably mounted in the wall of said pa said valve being moved byintaken air into a recess formed in one s de oi said passage so as toafford a subs .ntial y unobstructed passage for air through the device.

4. In a carbureto' air control device, an air passage having;' acircular cross section terminating, in inlet and outlet collars adapted,respectively, to receive and be received in the circular tubular ends*or a heater pipe and a carburetor, means on said collars for securingthem to the parts as sembled therewith, and a spring-pressed valvebetween said collars normally closing said passage but movable out ofthe path of air drawn through the passage.

5. In a carburetor a' control device, an air passage, a valve, a spring;normally moving said valve toward an end of said passage, a flangeatsaid end of the passage. a screw threaded in d flange and extendingdiagonally of said flange to serve as an adjustable stop for said valveand to secure said device to a pipe with which it is as sembled.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atlix my signature this 21st day ofOctober, 1924.

ERNEST DUNFORD,

